[Edu-sig] What is a Python module?

[Corey Richardson]

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On 05/03/2011 03:39 AM, kirby urner wrote:
> I posed this question before.  The usual answer is:  a file containing
> Python source code.
> 
> But you can import .pyc files even after the .py files are been
> removed, likewise .pyd files.
> 
> Is a Python module anything that's importable and runnable within
> Python, that responds to dir( ) etc.?
> 
> True whether or not said module comes with readable source code.
> 
> In fact, one could argue a Python module is precisely *not* the
> readable source code .py file, as that *must* be compiled to byte
> codes first, and saved in the .pyc.

A module is an object like any other:

>>> import os
>>> type(os)
<type 'module'>
>>> a = os.__class__("hello!")
>>> type(a)
<type 'module'>
>>> dir(a)
['__doc__', '__name__']

You can even inherit from it!

>>> import os
>>> class MyModule(os.__class__):
...     def __str__(self):
...             return "hi!"
...
>>> a = MyModule("name")
>>> print a
hi!

Of course, if I ever see that in "real" code, I'd be worried.

- -- 
Corey Richardson
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